The poet Swammy Hwygen Araújo de Oliveira, aged 31, was shot and died with at least six shots to the chest, after he, armed with a knife, invaded the 37th Military Police Battalion, in the South Zone of São Paulo. Family members report that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The case, which was revealed by Folha de S. Paulo, happened last Friday (17).
According to the PM, the man entered the battalion headquarters and hit a police officer in the neck before being shot and dying. The DHPP Police Station will investigate the incident, which was recorded as resistance and death resulting from police intervention. The Military Police also investigates all the circumstances of the incident through an investigation.
CNN spoke with Florentino Martins, the young man’s father, who questions the police officers’ conduct. “He has already freaked out here several times. I could grab his knife myself. Imagine a prepared police officer?, he says.
Martins explained that Swammy had obtained the right to disability retirement about six months ago and that he has been living with his son’s illness, which progressed from bipolar affective disorder to paranoid schizophrenia, for at least 10 years.
The young man’s father explained that his son was in “a silent outbreak” last Friday (17). He reports that Swammy left the house without taking his wallet and that he didn’t realize he had a kitchen knife with him.
Witnesses told Martins that his son joined the battalion and was subsequently shot. The family says Swammy arrived at the hospital dead. The young man was buried yesterday (19), at the Jardim da Paz Cemetery, in Embu das Artes, in Greater São Paulo.
Criminalists comment on PM action
CNN consulted criminal experts about the scenario that resulted in the man’s death. For Ariel de Castro Alves, lawyer and specialist in human rights and public security, in cases like these, police training provides for moderate procedures that do not result in the death of people.
“If he didn’t have a firearm, he couldn’t have been shot by police officers. Police officers are even trained to approach, immobilize and arrest criminal suspects,” he explains.
On the other hand, criminalist Daniel Bialski, partner at Bialski Advogados Associados, highlights that in his view there was no excess and that the growth in violence justifies the feat.
“In a situation like this, several police officers reacted at the same time and, therefore, there is no need to talk excessively, precisely because in these days, with increasing violence, it was not known what the person’s intentions were, whether they had another weapon, or a grenade. or even explosives. The surprise at the audacity of invading a police location required quick action”, he concludes.
Rafael Alcadipani, full professor at FGV EAESP and full member of the Brazilian Public Security Forum, considers that a person with a knife can present a very great risk to police officers.
“A person armed with a knife can be quite harmful and you have to neutralize that person, sometimes using a firearm. It is important that you have the stun gun, but depending on the situation, the knife can kill a person very easily,” he explains.
“We are completely helpless. He never had any problems with the police.”
Martins reports that his son has a book of poetry published. He points out that his son is well known in the Capão Redondo neighborhood for reciting poetry, telling stories and throwing parties for children.
“My son was full of life, even though he was sick,” he says.
The family says that until now they have not had access to the police report registered on the case. Martins was summoned to give testimony at the DHPP next Tuesday (21).
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.